Mohanjith

Back in the day

With the Apollo program drawing to a close, the astronauts of Apollo 17 knew that it would be some time before anyone returned to the Moon. Hours after the mission's launch, the astronauts snapped the famous "Blue Marble" photograph of a fully illuminated Earth. Days later, they landed on the Moon. On their three moonwalks, they explored miles of the Taurus-Littrow region, collected rock samples, and set up equipment for remote data collection. Who was the last person to walk on the Moon?

Feature

Thuggee was a historic form of organized crime that existed in India for centuries before its extinction in the mid-1800s. Because early travel was so dangerous, travelers typically undertook long-distance journeys in groups for protection. In India, members of a highly organized professional fraternity of robbers would pose as innocent wayfarers in order to join a group of travelers, only to strangle and rob the entire group at night. Through what means did Thuggee society acquire new members?

Born on a day like today

After Kamehameha V succeeded his brother as king of Hawaii in 1863, he tried to restore the old tribal ways. He proclaimed a new constitution that restored power to the monarch, weakened the legislature, and restricted suffrage. He even refused to allow the sale of alcohol. Under his reign, the influence of American missionaries waned rapidly. On his 42nd birthday, he died without an heir, bringing the Kamehameha dynasty to an end. How did Mark Twain describe the king during his stay in Hawaii?